UN hopes for progress in talks with India for humanitarian access to Kashmir

UNITED NATIONS: With the humanitarian situation fast deteriorating in the Indian Occupied Kashmir, the United Nations hopes that it’s human rights officials’ negotiations with India for access to the disputed state, which is currently under lockdown, “can move forward”, UN Associate Spokesperson Eri Kaneko has said.

“We’re aware that our human rights colleagues are in touch at various levels with the Indian Government. So, we would hope that these contacts would continue for, to allow for access,” she told reporters at the regular noon briefing at UN Headquarters in New York York on Friday.

The spokesperson was responding to a question whether efforts were underway to pressure India to agree to the request made by UN Human Rights High Commissioner Michelle Bachelet to allow a “humanitarian team” to visit Occupied Kashmir.